ostracization
Americannoun
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the act of excluding someone from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc., typically by general and often tacit consent.
Shame and ostracization left a bitter taste in the mouths of any who dared to offer an unpopular opinion.
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the act of banishing someone from their native country or home territory.
Her memoir tells a story of exile and ostracization—a disturbed teen kicked out of her home and driven from her small town to wander abroad.
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(in ancient Greece) the act of banishing a citizen temporarily by popular vote.
Around 431 b.c., ostracization of the philosopher Anaxagoras was orchestrated for his own protection by his friend, the statesman Pericles.
Etymology
Origin of ostracization
First recorded in 1865–70; ostracize ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ostracization by the group can be difficult, even today.
From Slate • Apr. 8, 2020
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
